Accies' Flavio Paixao twice went close, hitting the side netting before seeing a curler saved well by Allan McGregor.

As the impressive Accies tired, Tomas Cerny made excellent stops from Steven Davis and Nacho Novo.

Hamilton started the brighter, but the most direct threat on goal came from Rangers' Kenny Miller who scampered like an Easter bunny down the left wing and bore into the box before testing Cerny at the near post.

Miller and Edu combined twice, and on the second occasion the American midfielder put Rangers ahead.

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First, the American was set up by the Scotland centre-forward and had a left-foot dig from outside the box touched on to the post by Cerny.

Then in the 11th minute Edu applied the killer touch to a move that began with an incisive ball from Steven Naismith at the edge of the box to Miller, whose low pass across the face of the goal found his appreciative team-mate for his second goal of the season.

Accies' top scorer Mickael Antoine-Curier made his team's starting line-up, despite concerns that a knee injury might preclude his participation, and had he not strayed offside an equaliser might well have resulted.

Flavio Paixao ought to have scored when Simon Mensing found time and space down the right to pick out the Portuguese forward, but he skewed his shot a few inches past Allan McGregor's post.

It is 396 days since Rangers last lost at home in the league, against Inverness Caledonian Thistle in March 2009, but for much of the first half Rangers found themselves pinned back.

Hamilton pressed the runaway league leaders whenever they were in possession and, with Alex Neil and James McArthur the architects, built a game around precise passing and breaking at pace down the flanks.

In one such move, Dougie Imrie freed himself from full-back Steven Whittaker and cut the ball back for Flavio Paixao, who sent a curler from his Tweetie Pie-coloured boot to test cat-like McGregor in the Rangers goal.

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Moments later the diminutive Imrie headed over from Brian Easton's cross and, as Accies applied a stranglehold on their hosts, Mark McLaughlin did likewise from a 35th-minute Flavio Paixao corner.

Easton was out on the pitch well in advance of his team-mates for the second half as he tried to run off an injury, but he was forced to make way for Kyle Wilkie just six minutes after the restart.

Davis became a more instrumental figure in the match in the second period, dinking a cross for David Weir at the back post that the veteran headed wide, then setting up Miller for him to blaze embarrassingly over the bar.

And the Northern Irishman, a contender for player of the year, was alert to pounce on a suicidal cross-field pass by David Elebert to McLaughlin. Picking up the ball from the big Hamilton defender's toe, Davis advanced into the box and shot powerfully, but too directly, at Cerny who saved well.

With Kris Boyd a peripheral figure, thanks in part to the attentions of McLaughlin, he was substituted midway through the second half for Kyle Lafferty, rumoured to be attracting interest from Wolves.

Soon after, the big striker attempted a left-foot shot that did not have enough curl to trouble the Rangers goal, then Hamilton enjoyed an increasingly rare foray into the home side's half, with Imrie the man who attempted a shot on goal.

Hamilton skipper Neil moved further back as Ali Crawford came on for Elebert and the baby-faced forward tested Weir and Danny Wilson in the centre of the Rangers defence with a couple of probing crosses.

Hamilton's McArthur, who had run from an onside position, had the ball in the net after he nudged Joel Thomas's header past McGregor, but the goal was ruled offside.

With 14 minutes remaining Miller missed a golden chance to seal the points, diverting a perfect pass from Davis high over Cerny's bar from eight 10 yards.

As Hamilton pressed for the equaliser, Nacho Novo, on for Miller, had plenty of time to score Rangers' second but took too long to get his shot away and Cerny made an impressive block.

74:11 Corner from the right by-line taken by Ali Crawford, Steven Whittaker manages to make a clearance.

73:06 Lee McCulloch gives away a free kick for an unfair challenge on Alex Neil. The free kick is delivered right-footed by Mark
McLaughlin from right channel, Sasa Papac gives away a free kick for an unfair challenge on Douglas Imrie. The free kick is
swung in right-footed by Ali Crawford, clearance made by David Weir.

71:54 Lee McCulloch takes a shot. Blocked by Simon Mensing. Corner from the left by-line taken by Kyle Lafferty, Header by Maurice
Edu from deep inside the penalty area misses to the right of the target.

71:22 Header by Steven Naismith from deep inside the penalty area misses to the left of the target.

70:17 Substitution (Hamilton) makes a substitution, with Ali Crawford coming on for David Elebert.

68:10 Flavio Paixao crosses the ball, Sasa Papac makes a clearance. Corner taken by Douglas Imrie from the right by-line, Effort
from the edge of the penalty box by Flavio Paixao goes wide of the right-hand upright.

66:08 Steven Davis takes a outswinging corner.

64:51 Effort from outside the penalty box by Simon Mensing goes wide left of the target.

63:48 Substitution Kyle Lafferty on for Kris Boyd.

63:20 Kenny Miller concedes a free kick for a foul on Mark McLaughlin. Direct free kick taken by Mark McLaughlin.

41:08 Foul by Simon Mensing on Steven Naismith, free kick awarded. Shot on goal comes in from Steven Naismith from the free kick,
blocked by Martin Canning. Effort from the edge of the box by David Weir goes wide of the right-hand upright.

38:55 Mark McLaughlin fouled by Kris Boyd, the ref awards a free kick. David Elebert restarts play with the free kick.

35:38 Centre by Douglas Imrie, Danny Wilson gets a block in. Corner taken right-footed by Flavio Paixao from the right by-line to
the near post, Header on goal by Mark McLaughlin from inside the box goes harmlessly over the target.

17:44 The ball is sent over by Maurice Edu, clearance made by Brian Easton. Simon Mensing gives away a free kick for an unfair challenge
on Steven Whittaker. Free kick crossed right-footed by Steven Davis, James McArthur makes a clearance.

16:45 Kris Boyd takes a shot. Mark McLaughlin gets a block in. Corner from the left by-line taken by Steven Davis, save by Tomas
Cerny.

16:16 Free kick awarded for an unfair challenge on Lee McCulloch by James McArthur. Danny Wilson crosses the ball from the free
kick left-footed from left channel.

14:08 The ball is sent over by Simon Mensing, Effort from deep inside the area by Flavio Paixao misses to the right of the goal.

13:45 The ball is sent over by James McArthur, Danny Wilson makes a clearance.

10:25 GOAL - Maurice Edu:Rangers 1 - 0 Hamilton A goal is scored by Maurice Edu from inside the penalty area to the bottom left corner of the goal. Rangers 1-0 Hamilton.

9:28 Free kick awarded for an unfair challenge on David Weir by David Elebert. The free kick is delivered right-footed by Danny
Wilson from right channel, James McArthur manages to make a clearance. Maurice Edu has an effort at goal from outside the
area striking the post.

8:31 Corner from right by-line crossed in by Steven Davis, save made by Tomas Cerny.

8:06 Corner taken by Steven Davis played to the near post, clearance made by Simon Mensing.

2:46 Kenny Miller takes a shot. Save by Tomas Cerny. Steven Davis takes the inswinging corner, Mark McLaughlin manages to make
a clearance. Steven Davis takes the outswinging corner, Headed effort from deep inside the penalty area by Maurice Edu misses
to the left of the goal.

1:31 David Elebert challenges Kenny Miller unfairly and gives away a free kick. Direct free kick taken by David Weir.

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